Catedral de Sevilla

Catedral de Sevilla rises in Seville, Andalusia, as a Catholic cathedral and one of the world’s largest churches. Its Gothic structure measures about 126 metres long and 76 metres wide, while the Giralda reaches 104.5 metres.

The cathedral occupies the site of an Almohad mosque completed in 1198 by Abu Yaqub Yusuf. After Seville’s conquest in 1248, the mosque became a cathedral before construction of the present building began in the early fifteenth century. More than a century of work produced stained-glass windows, an immense Gothic retable, and later Renaissance and Plateresque additions. The site forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble with the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies.

The Giralda preserves the former minaret, while its Renaissance belfry and El Giraldillo date from the sixteenth century. The Patio de los Naranjos still holds orange trees and a fountain beside the cathedral. Inside, 80 chapels include the Capilla Real, the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and the remains of Ferdinand III of Castile. Wheelchair accessibility adds a practical detail to this vast meeting point of mosque, cathedral, royal chapel, and bell tower.